The Game
by kingstonsqueen
Summary: Irene Adler asks River Song to dinner after months of shameless flirting, teasing, and goading; of trading innuendoes, suggestive smirks, and blatant challenges. And of course, the downright obscene eye-fucking. Very AU, but I couldn't resist this pairing.
1. Chapter 1

_River_

Irene leaned in until her face was less than half a foot from mine - I could smell her skin. Her clear, grey-blue eyes lingered on my mouth for a long second before her gaze met mine.

"Would you have dinner with me?" Her Victorian rose colored lips parted sensually as she spoke, and I nearly lost the meaning of her words in the movement of that criminal mouth.

"Yes," I answered simply, my own lips curving up into a small smile.

"Good," Irene nodded. "Saturday, 7:30 p.m.?"

"Don't be late," I said in way of consent. "I'll even let you pick me up," I added, as if as an after thought, peering at her thoughtfully. "I'll text you my parents' address - that's where I'll be Saturday afternoon."

_Irene_

"Kate!" I called, my voice a tad shriller than usual.

"Yes?" she asked a moment later, stepping into my bedroom. I paused in my restless pacing to look at her, my wild appearance perfectly portraying my state of mind. I wore nothing, my hair tumbled freely around my shoulders, and the doors to my enormous closet were flung wide open.

"Kate, I'm going...out. I need you to help me find something appropriate to wear."

"Appropriate for what? Is this a client?"

"No, no, Kate, _out_, I'm going _out_," I corrected impatiently, as if that should explain everything.

"Oh!" A look of comprehension bloomed across her face. "Your lady - with the hair." I managed a smile; _my lady_. I rather enjoyed the sound of that. And oh God, the hair.

"Yes. I'm picking her up in two hours, from her parents' house. We're going out for dinner at a respectable, yet private restaurant, and then..."

"And then?" Kate prompted, walking into my closet and flicking through dresses.

"And then we shall see," I answered vaguely, my lips pursed against a half smug, half hopeful grin.

I joined Kate in going through outfit after outfit, and was able to find something wrong with everything she suggested.

_Too presumptuous. _

_Too much skin. _

_Not enough cleavage. _

_Too matronly. _

_Not sexy enough._

_Too formal._

_Homely._

_Overstated._

_Trying too hard._

_Not sophisticated enough._

_I may well meet her parents!_

I ended up in a cerulean dress, a long, tailored black jacket, and black pumps. The dress was flattering while not screaming, _I want to have sex with you_. It had a modest sweetheart neckline_, _and was fitted to the waist, where it became freer and fell to my knees. However, the back plunged in an elegant "V" to just above my bum - hence the long jacket, for the beginning of the evening when I might meet River's parents. I had Kate do my make-up, though I kept it relatively simple; blue eyeliner for the top lid, black for the bottom, mascara, light bronzer, and scarlet lipstick. In fact, it was much the same as it had been the day I first encountered the enigma that was River Song; I knew she would pick up on the subtle gesture. After much deliberation, my hair ended up in an elegant twist at the crown of my head. And then I was ready to go.

_River_

As I dressed, I could not get Irene out of my head. Months of shameless flirting, teasing, and goading; of trading innuendoes, suggestive smirks, and blatant challenges. And of course, the downright obscene eye-fucking. At this point, her direct gaze was enough to make my skin crawl with heat. All of this culminating in tonight, when our carefully constructed, unspoken rules would dissipate. She was under my skin, in every thought. _Her flawless, porcelain skin, flushed and warm where it met mine; her lithe, angular body beneath me. _I shook my head in an attempt to clear it, restless with anticipation.

When I returned from changing into my dress for the evening, I found my parents speaking quietly in the kitchen. As soon as Amy noticed me, she stopped talking, which is how I knew they were discussing me. _Not subtle, that one_, I thought with fond wryness. With my rather impressive heels in my hand, I hopped on top of the counter, shooting my mother a wink.

"So," she began, shooting Rory a meaningful - and obvious - look, "going out tonight?"

"Yes, mum," I nodded sagely, playing along. "I met a woman." Amy squealed. "We're having dinner; she's picking me up in fifteen minutes."

"Do tell," she demanded gleefully.

"She's a nice lady with a stable, nine to five job and a pretty house." I rolled my eyes, and Amy sighed heavily, as if exhausted by my inability to answer a question seriously.

"Honestly, Melody. What's she _like_?" she pushed, looking up at me expectantly. When Rory turned his steady gaze toward me, I understood that he was asking me to kindly answer my mother, as well as that in his own quiet way, he was nearly as anxious to know as she was.

"Her name is Irene," I began, my brow furrowing slightly as I thought of how best to describe her to my parents. A lot of words and images came to mind, and while I found them captivating, they would hardly endear her to my parents. "She's focused, and quiet, with a very commanding presence. Clever. Indomitable. She knows people find her attractive, but no one has ever shown her that she's beautiful. And she matches me line for line, blow for blow, allusion for allusion." I glanced up at my parents to gauge their reactions. Rory was hiding a smile (knowing approval and amusement) and Amy looked worrisomely contemplative.

"Will she give me pretty grandchildren?" she asked after a moment.

"Mother!" I sputtered. "This is-" _a chance to flirt with hands as well as words, time away from prying eyes, a time to find out what lay beneath the mask, shagging_ "-our first time out together, officially."


	2. Chapter 2

_Irene_

I checked the address on the curb against the one I held in my memory. _82734 Blue Ln. _I peered up at the house curiously. It was a lovely home, classic and unostentatious; white, two stories, with a bright blue door. Whatever I was expecting River's parents' house to be like, it wasn't this. I carefully parked beside the driveway, and inspected my make-up once more before stepping out of the car (it was an old classic Porsche 911 - my personal favorite). My heels clicked evenly as I made my way up the path to the front door, jacket on, hair immaculate, and features schooled into a cordial expression. I buzzed the doorbell once, and waited.

The sound of fast approaching footsteps came from behind the door, and a moment later, it swung open to reveal a woman who looked to be in her late twenties with vivid red hair. I had the space of two seconds to be confused before she was ushering me inside with a smile and a heavy Scottish accent.

"You must be Irene. Come in! River will be ready in a moment. Rory? Rory, come here and meet Irene!" Bewildered, I was unable to get in a word edgewise, though what I would have said, I haven't the faintest idea. The exuberant Scottish woman was hardly old enough to be River's mother, just as the man who joined us was far too young to be her father. Siblings, perhaps, or cousins? She hadn't _mentioned_ siblings...I smiled politely at who I could only assume was Rory as Amy stepped to his side and continued to jabber on and eye me appraisingly. He rested a calming hand on her shoulder, and offered me a friendly, apologetic smile. I decided that I liked Rory. There was something in his utterly unshakable demeanor that was distinctly _River_.

At the moment, the woman herself came around the corner, and my mouth went dry. _Bloody hell_. She was dressed in a sleeveless, long black dress with a neckline that absolutely _plummeted_. Delicate crystal beading accented the V-line, drawing the eye to her, quite frankly, devastating cleavage. Her hair was down - almost as if she knew it would taunt and tantalize me all evening - and on her feet were the most sexual pair of shoes I had ever laid eyes on. Perfect red Louis Vuittons. _Love-fifteen._ My eyes returned to her face, which was graced with a rare look of relaxed comfort.

"River," I nodded, smiling over at her. I wasn't aware that I had interrupted Amy until I noticed the sudden quiet.

"Hello, darling," River returned, moving toward me. As she passed Amy and Rory, she leaned in to plant a kiss on each of their cheeks.

"River-" Amy started, but River cut of her off with an affectionate smile and a firm,

"Good_bye_ mum, dad. Talk to you soon." Amy sighed, and waved us off. River ushered me out the door first, closing it behind her.

We were silent until we were situated in the car and on our way to our destination.

"They're your parents?" I eventually asked, my eyes flickering to the woman who sat beside me before returning my gaze to the road.

"Yes," River answered. "It's a long story, but yes." I nodded slowly, and decided not to press the topic; it didn't sound like one River would be willing to discuss.

"All right."

"You look lovely," she remarked softly, and I could feel her thoughtful, vibrant regard alight on my skin. "Truly." If I had dared look at her now, I almost believed I would see something akin to wonder on her face. _Fifteen-all_.

"And you are..." I shook my head, the beginning of a smile making its way onto my face without my consent. "Breathtaking. As always."

"Thank you, darling," she replied easily, and when I risked another glance in her direction, she was smiling.

Neither of us were ones to enjoy small talk, so the remainder of the drive was spent in silence. The suspense was tangible, and the sexual energy that had always crackled between us did nothing less than blaze. In the confines of my small car, the urge to bridge the meager distance between our bodies was very nearly overpowering. The outline of River's thighs, clearly visible beneath her dress, was irresistible, and I had to clench my hands on the steering wheel to keep from reaching out and touching her. _Who would have thought a dominatrix would have so little self-control? _I was on the verge of commanding myself to pull it together when I remembered - tonight was a night of freedom and release, of letting go and not holding back. So while we waited at a red light, I slid my left hand over River's knee and gave her leg a gentle squeeze. When the light turned green, I returned my hand to the wheel, and waited for her reaction. She merely hummed contently in response - a low, luscious sound that I decided I would like to hear a good deal more of - and we drove on.


	3. Chapter 3

_River_

I was surprised by how easily Irene seemed to accept the inexplicability of my parents' age in relation to mine, as well as by her apparent understanding of my reticence concerning the subject.

"You look lovely," I told her quietly. It was my way of thanking her, trading an honest admission of admiration for her kind consideration. "Truly," I added, wanting to leave her with no doubt as to the sincerity of my words. In truth, _lovely_ wasn't an adequate description; she was nothing short of captivating. The sight of her long, perfectly manicured fingers curled around the wheel; her uniquely shaped carmine lips fighting against a smile; her impossibly blue eyes framed by striking dark lashes; the angle of her collar bone and the contrast of her ivory skin against her cobalt dress; and, most infuriatingly, her sable hair, pulled back in a sophisticated style with pins that I longed to yank out and cast away until her hair cascaded over her angular shoulders.

"And you are...Breathtaking. As always," she replied, the smile she had been repressing playing across her face.

"Thank you, darling," I smiled, relaxing into her presence. We lapsed back into quietude, the silence filled with sexual tension but thankfully, not awkwardness. I passed the time by studying her features, memorizing them. I was in the middle of appreciating the faint lines around her eyes and mouth when she ran her hand up my knee with deliberate slowness. I shivered involuntarily when her graceful hand trailed a bit further up the inside of my thigh and grasped my leg firmly, before it returned to the wheel and she began driving again as if nothing had transpired. I hummed my enjoyment and approval, though the sound came out lower than I expected and nearly sounded like a purr. I noted with interest that Irene hardly seemed to mind, if her quickened breaths were anything to go by. It was only with great effort that I bit back a smug grin. _Good to know._

We pulled up at the restaurant - parking around back - and I was intrigued to discover that it was somewhere I had never been before. I must admit, I was rather skeptical of the caliber of the restaurant; it honestly didn't look like much, a small green door in a brick wall of an obscure building. But this was Irene's night, and I was curious to see the hand of cards she held, and how she planned on playing them. As if sensing my doubts, she tossed me a knowing smirk as we stepped through the door. Once inside, I couldn't help but smile in understanding, and nodded once to say, _Oh, I see._ It was a brilliant choice, absolutely perfect for tonight. The low ceiling gave it an air of coziness and intimacy, though the restaurant itself was quite posh. It was illuminated by strings of lanterns and fairy lights that hung from the ceiling and all along the walls, and was divided by four foot high partitions into tables and booths far enough apart to feel rather private. The tables themselves were beautiful, crafted from dark wood and slightly lower than was usual to make the low ceiling feel more natural. I loved it instantly.

Irene directed us to the podium at the front of the restaurant, behind which stood a well dressed woman waiting to seat us.

"We have a reservation. Song, for two," Irene said quietly, leaning in so that the woman could hear her over the muted noises of the restaurant. The woman nodded once.

"Follow me, please," she said with a smile, and lead us to the far corner of the restaurant where she sat us at a booth that was set apart from the others, with a slightly higher partition. I raised my brows at Irene as she sat across from me.

"Who'd you have to kill to get this booth?" I murmured once the woman had departed. She chuckled, a new, freer sound than I was accustomed to hearing from her and one that I committed to memory.

"I know the owner. He owes me a favor," she explained, vague as per usual.

"Ah," I said in acceptance. "Question."

"Yes?" she prompted, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly.

"Why did you use my name?" That was the one move I couldn't work out - what could she hope to prove or accomplish by making the reservation under my name? Her lips quirked up into a wry smile before she answered.

"I prefer it to my own. _Song_ sounds a good deal prettier than _Adler_."

"I like your name," I offered lightly. "Irene. It's...Vintage. Elegant and enigmatic, much like yourself. Goes well with Adler." She arched an immaculate eyebrow in inquisitive amusement.

"Is that your subtle way of calling me _old_, Song?" she queried impishly. "'_Vintage?_'"

"Oh, take the compliments, you absurd woman," I sighed with exaggerated exasperation. "Besides, if you're old, I promise you, I'm simply archaic."

"Please," Irene scoffed drily, gazing at me in blatant appraisal. "You're ten years my senior, at most."

"You're much cleverer than that," I admonished. "Darling, I'm a good deal more than ten years your elder. Did my parents teach you nothing of the correlation between age and looks in my family?"

"How old _are_ you?" Irene asked with honest, eager interest. She leaned forward as she spoke, her eyes never leaving mine.

"That one will take much more than dinner, darling," I responded, shaking my head and smiling without regret. _Perhaps she might deign to stick around for awhile if she retains the hope of discovering the secrets of the untouchable Professor Song. Hah...As if. The hopes of a woman grown foolish in her old age._

"Hmm. We'll see, Song. You are a puzzle, one I plan on piecing together," she returned confidently. I mirrored her earlier movement, and cocked my head.

"Only time will tell. And you know what? I almost hope you succeed, Irene. Lord knows it's been long enough since anyone has tried."


End file.
